Shanik: Closed

The sister restaurant to Vancouver’s astonishing Vij’s offers fewer astonishing moments. That said: The Indian fusion at this carefully run place in South Lake Union is still Seattle’s finest Indian food, in an elegant midcentury room Don Draper would love. (Check the low-seat bar and the intimate private dining room.) The curry-heavy menu changes frequently, but features lots of northern Indian preparations achieved with Northwest ingredients, like smoky salmon or locally sourced pork. For the most fun, venture into more inventive territory: perhaps the lamb rack chops, called lamb popsicles, in whatever presentation they’re offered; or the spicy Indian crepe called pura, topped with potatoes and bacon alongside crunchy beets with daikon.